Chapter Summaries

Wu Tao observed Gao Xing’s attempt to break through to the Golden Core realm in the Spirit Vein Origin Grounds. Gao Xing’s Golden Core Dao Manifestation collapsed, and his cultivation fell to Foundation Establishment Layer One.

• Wu Tao and four other Ninth Level Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived to observe Gao Xing’s breakthrough under Sect Leader Ning Qiudao’s guard.
• Gao Xing began refining his dantian magic power with spirit fire and spirit water as Ning Qiudao explained the breakthrough’s stages to the observers.
• After ten days, Gao Xing manifested his Golden Core Dao Manifestation, revealing a nearly formed golden core.
• Ning Qiudao ordered Gao Xing to stop, but Gao Xing’s Dao Manifestation collapsed and his golden core shattered before Ning Qiudao could intervene.
• Ning Qiudao dispersed the spirit fire and spirit water and tried to preserve Gao Xing’s cultivation, but Gao Xing fell to Foundation Establishment Layer One.
• Gao Xing explained that he had risked everything because he believed he would never have another chance to reach the Golden Core realm, and Ning Qiudao sent Wu Tao and the other observers away.

Wu Tao returned from witnessing Gao Xing’s failed Golden Core breakthrough and reflected on the loss to the Artifact Refining Hall. Ten days later, Wu Tao and Chen Yao prepared to visit Gao Xing, whose injuries had mostly healed.

• Wu Tao left the Spirit Vein Origin Grounds and told Chen Yao that Gao Xing’s breakthrough had failed, though Sect Master Ning had saved his life.
• Wu Tao mourned Gao Xing’s ruined cultivation and recognized that he was now the Artifact Refining Hall’s only Tier 2 Advanced Artifact Refiner.
• Wu Tao resumed studying ancient characters, resolving to strengthen himself so he would not suffer Gao Xing’s fate.
• Zhao Zhen and Fan Zhifeng discussed Gao Xing’s failure with Wu Tao and debated whether he should have stopped his breakthrough.
• Ten days later, Chen Yao asked to accompany Wu Tao on his planned visit to Gao Xing, and Wu Tao agreed.

Wu Tao and his companions visited Gao Xing after his failed Golden Core breakthrough left him devastated, and Sect Leader Ning Qiudao encouraged Wu Tao to keep advancing on his own path. The next day, Gao Xing came to the Artifact Refining Hall to transfer his duties and authority to Wu Tao.

• Wu Tao, Chen Yao, Zhao Zhen, and Fan Zhifeng visited Gao Xing, who lay unresponsive in his cave abode and refused food and medicine.
• Ning Qiudao arrived, sent the others away, and advised Wu Tao that his cultivation path differed from Gao Xing’s and required steady effort.
• Ning Qiudao told Wu Tao that Gao Xing’s cultivation had fallen and that Wu Tao would be the Artifact Refining Hall’s only Tier 2 Advanced Artifact Refiner.
• Wu Tao finished learning the ancient script and planned to study Ancient Restriction Runes at the Magic Tool Secret Manual Building.
• The next day, Gao Xing met Wu Tao at the West Hall and said he had come to hand over his responsibilities and authority.

Wu Tao took over Gao Xing’s responsibilities in the Artifact Refining Hall and urged him to teach aspiring artifact refiners after his failed Golden Core breakthrough left him unable to refine Tier 2 tools. With Wen Xingrui’s approval, Wu Tao began planning the lectures while resolving to delegate routine work so he could protect his cultivation time.

• Gao Xing handed Wu Tao the Artifact Refining Hall’s records, formation token, task assignments, delivery registrations, and coordination duties.
• Gao Xing revealed that his failed Golden Core breakthrough had severely damaged his dantian, leaving him unable to support Tier 2 artifact refining.
• Wu Tao encouraged Gao Xing to teach Tier 1 artifact refiners, and Gao Xing considered the proposal rather than rejecting it.
• Wen Xingrui approved the teaching plan, required students to pay Merit Points, and authorized Wu Tao to arrange the details.
• Wu Tao refined the day’s immortal boat components, practiced the Six Yang Li Fire True Technique, and decided to delegate lesser duties to protect his cultivation time.

Wu Tao searched the Magic Tool Secret Manual Building for Ancient Restriction Runes, delegated some of his work to Zhou Chongwen, and established an Artifact Refining Academy for Gao Xing. He found the rune matching the one in the Nameless Token but still needed to learn how to comprehend it, and he left without replacing his flying magic tool.

• Wu Tao read several incomplete books on Ancient Restriction Runes and decided to search for the rune in the Nameless Token.
• Wu Tao began handing less important duties to Zhou Chongwen and established an Artifact Refining Academy where Gao Xing taught tier 1 Artifact Refiners.
• Wu Tao searched the secret chamber over several days and found a rune on a Demonic Beast femur that matched the restriction in the Nameless Token.
• Wu Tao left the Magic Tool Secret Manual Building after his allotted time and met Zhao Zhen and Fan Zhifeng, who offered to lend him Merit Points for a better flying magic tool.
• Wu Tao told Zhao Zhen and Fan Zhifeng that he could not yet refine a Tier 2 High-Grade flying magic tool and departed without replacing his Purple Wing Boat.

Wu Tao accepted Gao Xing’s artifact-refinement notes and continued advancing his cultivation and restriction research. Wen Xingrui then ordered him to prepare for a trip to Purple Gold Grotto and Five Spring Mountain, leaving Wu Tao to get ready for the potentially dangerous journey.

• Chen Yao agreed that Wu Tao needed a Tier 2 Advanced Flight Magic Tool to represent the Artifact Refining Hall when negotiating with other sects.
• Gao Xing gave Wu Tao his original Jade Slip of artifact-refinement insights and warned him against pursuing the same path to the Golden Core stage.
• Wu Tao accepted Gao Xing’s notes, resolved to copy them and return the original, and continued his refining work while maintaining his cultivation.
• Over the next half year, Wu Tao advanced his cultivation and body tempering, studied several Tier 2 Advanced Magic Restrictions, and began comprehending the World Transmission rune for the World-Crossing Token.
• Wen Xingrui summoned Wu Tao and told him to accompany him to Purple Gold Grotto and Five Spring Mountain in half a month.
• Wu Tao accepted the assignment and left to prepare for the journey outside the sect.

Wu Tao prepared for his secret trip with Wen Xingrui to Five Spring Mountain and the Purple Gold Grotto by improving his equipment and arranging to be away from Chen Yao. After borrowing Gao Xing’s Flying Cloud Boat and finding no useful talismans, Wu Tao set out to meet Wen Xingrui.

• Wu Tao told Chen Yao that he would be away for an uncertain length of time, and they agreed to postpone having a child until they could offer one a safe life.
• Wu Tao decided to upgrade his equipment before the journey and planned to give Chen Yao his spare escape talismans.
• Gao Xing lent Wu Tao his Tier 2 High-Grade Flying Cloud Boat, and Wu Tao returned Gao Xing’s artifact-refining notes to help with his teaching at the Artifact Refining Academy.
• Wu Tao refined the Flying Cloud Boat and searched the Talisman Hall for Tier 2 High-Grade talismans, but none were available and the intermediate-grade options were not useful to him.
• After half a month of preparation, Wu Tao said goodbye to Chen Yao and rode the Flying Cloud Boat toward the Artifact Refining Hall to meet Wen Xingrui.

Wu Tao accompanied Wen Xingrui to Five Spring Mountain and Purple Gold Grotto to discuss the Immortal Boat Project, then began breaking through to Foundation Establishment Layer 7 on the trip home. Just as he reached the bottleneck, the Flying Void Boat was struck by a sudden attack.

• Wu Tao boarded the Flying Void Boat with Wen Xingrui and Yu Zhenming, and Wen Xingrui said no Golden Core cultivator would escort them because the journey was secret.
• At Five Spring Mountain, Wen Xingrui and Yang Kaiji compared their progress on Immortal Boat components, and Wu Tao learned how the six allied sects had divided the project while excluding Heavenly Gate Mountain.
• Wu Tao and Wen Xingrui visited Purple Gold Grotto, where the sects confirmed that the components would be ready in about a year and arranged escorts for their return journey.
• On the Flying Void Boat home, Wu Tao's Six Yang Li Fire True Technique reached 99%, and he prepared to break through to Foundation Establishment Layer 7.
• Five days later, as Wu Tao began his breakthrough, the Flying Void Boat shook violently from a thunderous impact, interrupting his cultivation.

Wen Xingrui and Wu Tao’s Flying Void Boat was ambushed by Demonic Dao cultivators seeking to capture the Tier 3 Artifact Refiner and disrupt the Immortal Boat Project. Liu Tianquan betrayed them and destroyed the boat’s protective formation, leaving Wu Tao fleeing pursued while Wen Xingrui faced the enemy Golden Core cultivators and revealed he had been hiding his strength.

• Yu Zhenming spotted three Blood Refining Demon Boats surrounding the Flying Void Boat, and Wen Xingrui and the others prepared to face their Golden Core cultivators.
• Wen Xingrui and Liu Tianquan activated a backup formation, while the attackers battered the boat’s defenses and argued with Wen Xingrui about the Immortal Dao.
• Liu Tianquan suddenly attacked Wen Xingrui, admitted his betrayal, and shattered the protective formation from inside the boat.
• Wu Tao escaped with Star-Shining Step as the Purple Gold Grotto cultivators fled after him, while the Foundation Establishment devilish cultivators pursued them in the Blood Refining Demon Boats.
• Wen Xingrui remained surrounded by Liu Tianquan and the enemy Golden Core cultivators, rejected their demand that he join them, and declared he would reveal an Artifact Refiner’s strength.

Wen Xingrui revealed his Artifact Refiner Combat Technique, killed Liu Tianquan and Yin Obsessed Old Devil, and drove off the other attackers. Meanwhile, Wu Tao was cornered by six Foundation Establishment devilish cultivators and launched a Tier 2 Warship at them.

• Liu Tianquan revealed that he served the Blood Dao Immortal Sect and joined Fang Old Devil, Yin Obsessed Old Devil, and Brother Slaying Old Devil in attacking Wen Xingrui.
• Wen Xingrui used numerous defensive True Artifacts to block their attacks, then unleashed twenty-two Tier 3 High-Grade True Artifacts and killed Liu Tianquan.
• Fang Old Devil and Brother Slaying Old Devil fled, while Wen Xingrui killed Yin Obsessed Old Devil and returned to the Void Boat before going to search for Han.
• Wu Tao urged the three Five Spring Mountain cultivators to split up as Blood Refining Demon Boats pursued them, but two boats caught him.
• After six Foundation Establishment devilish cultivators left their boats to capture him, Wu Tao entered a Tier 2 Warship and charged at them.

Wu Tao fled the Nether Soul Sect and Celestial Yin Sect cultivators in his Tier 2 Warship, killing two pursuers before its energy ran out. With two defectors from Five Spring Mountain sent to kill him and his breakthrough still incomplete, he prepared to fight them on the ground.

• Wu Tao used his Tier 2 Warship to kill two Foundation Establishment Layer 8 devilish cultivators, but the others took shelter aboard their Blood Refining Demon Boats.
• Wu Tao piloted the warship through a forest to evade the pursuing boats while refining pills and Source Qi of Spells, hoping to break through to Foundation Establishment Layer 7.
• A Celestial Yin Sect cultivator recognized that the warship was nearly out of energy, and the Nether Soul Sect cultivators maneuvered to intercept Wu Tao.
• Wu Tao's warship ran out of energy, so he stored it as a Blood Refining Demon Boat carrying two captured Five Spring Mountain cultivators arrived.
• The Corpse-Digging Path cultivators revealed that the two Five Spring Mountain cultivators had defected and ordered them to kill Wu Tao.
• The two defectors urged Wu Tao to surrender, but he refused and said he would not hold back against them.

Wu Tao was surrounded by devilish cultivators and two defectors from Five Spring Mountain, but broke through to Foundation Establishment Layer 7 as a Blood Refining Demon Boat charged at him. Wen Xingrui secretly stopped the boat, allowing Wu Tao to kill both Ninth Level Foundation Establishment defectors before the remaining enemies prepared to attack.

• Wen Xingrui watched from above as the devilish cultivators and two Five Spring Mountain defectors encircled Wu Tao, waiting to see how strong he was.
• The Celestial Yin Sect cultivators launched their Blood Refining Demon Boat at Wu Tao while the two defectors attacked, forcing Wu Tao to break through to Foundation Establishment Layer 7 and extend his divine sense to 105 miles.
• Wen Xingrui silently halted the Blood Refining Demon Boat and suppressed the Celestial Yin Sect cultivators, while the Five Spring Mountain defectors continued their assault.
• Wu Tao used Star-Shining Step and a flurry of attacks to kill one Ninth Level Foundation Establishment defector, then used Yin Spirit Tremor to destroy the other's divine sense and kill him.
• The Corpse-Digging Path and Nether Soul Sect cultivators panicked at Wu Tao's strength and sent their Blood Refining Demon Boats toward him, while a Nether Soul Sect cultivator urged the Celestial Yin Sect to attack too.

Wu Tao and Wen Xingrui defeated the demonic cultivators attacking them, with Wu Tao revealing his strength as a dual cultivator and wiping out the remaining Foundation Establishment enemies. After they cleaned up the battlefield, Wen Xingrui led Wu Tao to repair the fallen Flying Void Boat and explained that two Golden Core Devilish Cultivators had escaped.

• Wen Xingrui arrived, shattered the Blood Refining Demon Boats' defenses, and left the demonic cultivators for Wu Tao to handle.
• Wu Tao killed three Foundation Establishment Devilish Cultivators in an instant, then destroyed two Corpse Puppets and used Yin Spirit Tremor to kill the remaining attackers.
• Wen Xingrui praised Wu Tao's dual cultivation and learned that his Spell Cultivator realm had reached Foundation Establishment Layer 7 and his Body Cultivator realm Spirit Body Layer 6.
• Wu Tao and Wen Xingrui cleaned up the battlefield, and Wen Xingrui assured him that Five Spring Mountain would compensate him for its defectors' betrayal.
• As they headed to the fallen Flying Void Boat, Wen Xingrui told Wu Tao that two Golden Core Devilish Cultivators had escaped using a profound Escape Technique.

Wu Tao and Wen Xingrui repaired the Flying Void Boat and began their return to the Ethereal Void Sect. As Wu Tao recovered, he reflected on his cultivation goals and the coming war, and wondered how Wen Xingrui had become such a formidable fighter.

• Wu Tao asked Wen Xingrui to help repair the damaged Flying Void Boat quickly, fearing the demonic Dao Golden Core might return, and Wen Xingrui agreed to work alongside him.
• Yu Zhenming returned, rejoiced that Wu Tao was alive, and went to pay his respects to Wen Xingrui.
• Wen Xingrui and Wu Tao finished repairing the Flying Void Boat, and Yu Zhenming piloted it toward the Ethereal Void Sect while its damaged formations remained unrepaired.
• Wen Xingrui told Wu Tao to rest, and Wu Tao checked his status and considered his Foundation Establishment Layer 7 breakthrough, his goal of reaching Golden Core by sixty, and the war expected after the six sects refined immortal boats.
• Wu Tao recalled Wen Xingrui's powerful strike and wondered whether Tier 3 Artifact Refiners could overcome their supposed weakness in spell battles.

Wu Tao learned from Wen Xingrui that the Immortal Origin Realm’s cultivators were trapped at the Nascent Soul Realm and that Ning Qiudao planned to forge a World-Breaking Immortal Boat to escape its limits. After Wu Tao pledged his support, Wen Xingrui asked to test his bone age.

• Wu Tao visited Wen Xingrui and asked why Liu Tianquan remained loyal to the Demonic Dao, and Wen Xingrui revealed that Liu was a remnant of the Immortal Sage Sect.
• Wen Xingrui explained how remnants of the Immortal Sage Sect founded four Demonic Sects, while the Blood Dao Sect and Celestial Yin Sect were founded by Rogue Cultivators.
• Wen Xingrui explained that the Immortal Palace had destroyed the World-Breaking Formations, trapping cultivators in the Immortal Origin Realm at the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Wen Xingrui revealed that Ning Qiudao had launched the Righteous-Demonic War to unite the realm, gather its resources, and forge a World-Breaking Immortal Boat.
• Wu Tao vowed to support Ning Qiudao’s plan, then asked why the realm’s Immortal Dao had flaws that limited cultivation.
• Wen Xingrui asked whether Wu Tao had cultivated a Secret Soul Technique, then requested permission to test Wu Tao’s bone age.

Wen Xingrui discovered that Wu Tao was only forty-eight and recognized his exceptional talent as a dual cultivator and artifact refiner. He explained that his Artifact Refining Combat Dao and Secret Soul Technique were personal inheritances, then sent Wu Tao away while privately debating whether to offer him a master-disciple relationship; Wu Tao borrowed supplies from Yu Zhenming and returned to cultivating.

• Wen Xingrui tested Wu Tao's bone age, learned he was forty-eight, and asked whether he had a master.
• Wu Tao explained that his former master had passed away and that his Dao Companion, A-Yao, was the master's daughter.
• Wen Xingrui told Wu Tao that his combat ability came from a personally developed Artifact Refining Combat Dao and a Secret Soul Technique, neither of which belonged to the Sect.
• After Wu Tao left, Wen Xingrui considered taking him as a disciple but worried that Wu Tao might refuse.
• Wu Tao borrowed eight bottles of Magic Power Pills and two bottles of Source Qi of Spells from Yu Zhenming, then returned to his room to cultivate.

Wu Tao returned to the sect, reunited with Chen Yao, and resumed his work before going to the Cultivation Technique Pavilion to select a True Art. Meanwhile, Ning Qiudao decided to take Wu Tao as his disciple and sent Ji Lingxu to deliver the news.

• Wu Tao returned to his cave abode, helped Chen Yao with her cultivation questions, and spent the afternoon strolling through the Marketplace with her.
• Wu Tao returned Gao Xing’s Flying Cloud Boat, then went to the Earth Fire Hall to refine Immortal Boat components.
• Wu Tao visited the Cultivation Technique Pavilion and asked Liu Sishu for the True Art catalog after learning the Foundation Establishment catalog did not contain one.
• Wen Xingrui told Ning Qiudao about Wu Tao’s talents, while Ning Qiudao considered whether Wen Xingrui planned to take Wu Tao as a disciple.
• After Ji Lingxu returned from Demon Suppression Pass, Ning Qiudao ordered him to tell Wu Tao that he wanted to take him as a disciple.

Ji Lingxu went to find Han Fan to tell him that Ning Qiudao wished to accept him as a disciple, but Han Fan was away from his cave abode. Meanwhile, Wu Tao examined the True Arts catalog to choose a technique for his future Golden Core Natal True Art.

• Ji Lingxu asked Fan Zhifeng where Han Fan was and explained that Ning Qiudao wished to take him as a disciple.
• Fan Zhifeng told Ji Lingxu that Han Fan had left the Artifact Refining Hall and likely returned to his cave abode.
• Ji Lingxu learned the cave abode's location from Hong Tiebao and went there, where Chen Yao invited him to wait for Han Fan.
• Wu Tao received the True Arts catalog from Liu Sishu at the Cultivation Technique Pavilion.
• Wu Tao began comparing the True Arts, including A Point of Formless Sword and Ethereal Void Natal Golden Sword Technique.

Wu Tao exchanged 168,888 Merit Points for the top-tier True Art A Point of Formless Sword and struggled to make sense of it during his first study session. When he returned to his Cave Abode, he found that Ji Lingxu had come to see him, but did not know why.

• Wu Tao chose A Point of Formless Sword after reviewing the seventy-three True Arts and used his Merit Points to exchange for its Jade Slip.
• Wu Tao studied the True Art for an hour but remained unable to grasp its principles, and he worried that his Six Yang Li Fire True Technique was advancing too slowly.
• Wu Tao returned the Jade Slip and headed back to his Cave Abode, thinking that he needed to make time for both True Art comprehension and Tier 2 Advanced Magic Restrictions.
• Wu Tao sensed Ji Lingxu's aura in his Cave Abode and learned from Chen Yao that Ji Lingxu had come to see him.

Ji Lingxu told Wu Tao that Ning Qiudao wanted to take him as a disciple, leaving Wu Tao to plan a visit to the sect master and learn the reason. News of the offer spread through the Artifact Refining Hall, where Wen Xingrui reacted with shock.

• Ji Lingxu told Wu Tao that Ning Qiudao wanted him as a disciple, and Wu Tao questioned why the sect master had chosen him.
• Ji Lingxu said he did not know Ning Qiudao’s reasons and advised Wu Tao to visit Ethereal Void Immortal Peak.
• Wu Tao decided to meet Ning Qiudao the next day and said he would welcome becoming his disciple if the offer was genuine.
• Fan Zhifeng told Zhao Zhen that Ning Qiudao wanted to take Wu Tao as a disciple.
• Wen Xingrui overheard the news from Fan Zhifeng and reacted with shock.